Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-03-03

oho pdIt VI tLc EQUITY, WHICH the Leg
islature cannot authorize if it would,
and would not, if it could So the
Senate has in effect decided. Upon what
principle, then, of public policy, or pri-
vate morals, can the County be author
lied to shift its burden, voluntarily
assumed to PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS, that
could not be transferred to the cities, as
such? IF it would be unreasonable to
allow the County to transfer its obliga-
tons to smaller political communities in
the aggregate the two cities without
their consent, would it not be equally,
or even more reprehensible, to permit
it to transfer such obligations, to linn
tied number of individuals, many of
them non-residents of the County, and
many of them poor laborers, without
THEIR consent? Every consideration of
public policy, of fair dealing, of regard
for plighted faith and for public obliga-
tons, forbids such policy. The calm
and rational Judgment of the people
including the people. of the localities
most remote from the bridge-will con-
denim it whenever they shall fully
understand all the facts, out of which
the present condition of things has
arisen
If the proposed policy shall be
inaugurated-the present free bridge,
be changed into TOLL bridge-the
burdenswill fall heaviest upon those least
able to bear them. Look the situation
squarely in the face. Centralia and
Grand Rapids lie upon directly opposite
shores of the river, and are connected
by the bridge in question. They are in
reality but single town; and so regard
ed by their own citizens, and those Of
the surrounding towns. One railroad
depot, (that of the G. B. road has its
passenger and freight depot upon the
Grand Rapids side; the other (the St.
Paul road,) has it's depot on the
Centralia side. There are stores, and
hotels and grist-mills and pulp mills
upon either side. The towns of Grand
Rapids and Saratoga on the east side,
and Rudolph, Sigel, Seneca, Port
Edwards, and one or two others, on the
west side, do most of their trading-all
their milling and marketing-at Contra
liza and Grand Rapids, All their surplus
grain and produce, all the fuel comsum-
ed In the two cities are hauled to this
market and the market is upon both
sides of the river. Most of these people
are in poor circumstances struggling
along from year to year, in worthy
effort to reach the good time coming"
which all desire to see; many of them
located upon wild farms and are rearing
modest homes for themselves and
families, with no market for their
surplus but this. This market was open
to them, without toll or tax, when they
cOmmenced-s such tax as they were
required to pay in common with all
the property owners of the county.
The county then maintained a free
bridge; had purchased and was main
tanning it, without complaint, under
circumstances that clearly imposed the
duty to so maintain it perpetually.
That duty still remains. So in these
cities poor men have come in, and
secured cheap homes, on the faith Of
existing conditions, and with the under
standing that public obligations, at least,
would be observed and kept. Many
loh i
among and near us, with their families,
and who labor upon the railroads or at
the mills, or for individuals about town,
as occasion offers, reside upon one side
of the river and work much or all of the
time on the other side, necessarily
crossing the bridge several times a day.
The active people of both cities and
of the surrounding towns mentioned
all who are compelled to labor for what
they have-including their families,
cross the river at this point, several
times a day-in purchasing necessaries
for their families, marketing whatever
they can spare or performing their daily
labor, as the case may be. Every
pound of merchandise which they are
produce including fuel, which they may
be obliged to buy or sell, is liable to
cross and much of it must cross the
bridge at this point. If the railroads
are required to pay toll, directly or
indirectly in delivering their freight
the consumers must pay it in
the end. And so of the produce and
fuel, and flour and feed, which all the
people are concerned in, and must
have, and must pay for, however its
price is made up. While those of our
people who reside in towns or cities
more remote, and trade in other mar
kets and of course less interested directly
in the conditions that exist here, than
are those residing in this part of the
County, still they are interested to have
free bridge across the river at this
point. They are required occasionally
to visit their County seat, upon business,
public or private. They should be
able to do so without being charged TOLL
for the privilege. They are interested
in having their County keep its plighted
faith, voluntarily pledged. They are in
terested in maintaining County whose
cities and County seat may be visited